Steve Bloom/The Olympian
Kazuhisa Ishii winds up against Seattle's Ichiro in the M's final spring game on Sunday.

Mariners to open season a marked team

White Sox will open opponents' run at team that won 116 games last year

JIM COUR, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Originally published Monday, April 1, 2002

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Mariners believe they're a marked team.

That's only natural after their record-setting 116-win season, manager Lou Piniella said.

"They want to beat you, they really do," Piniella said. "Last year we weren't really picked in our division and this year we're the consensus pick. We won a lot of ballgames and we beat a lot of teams last year. They'd like to reverse the tables somewhat."

The Mariners open their 2002 season Monday against the Chicago White Sox, who have added leadoff hitter Kenny Lofton and now have a healthy Frank Thomas.

The Mariners will send their ace, Freddy Garcia (18-6 last season), against Mark Buehrle (16-8).

After setting an AL record and tying the 1906 Chicago Cubs for the major league mark with their 116 wins last season, the Mariners know that expectations are higher than ever.

The Mariners have lost to the New York Yankees in the AL championship series for two straight years. Anything short of their first trip to the World Series would be a major disappointment.

"We're going to have our hands full, but I think we're going to do well," Piniella said.

General manager Pat Gillick has made some changes, replacing Al Martin in left field with Ruben Sierra, David Bell at third base with Jeff Cirillo, backup catcher Tom Lampkin with Ben Davis and Jose Paniagua in the bullpen with Shigetoshi Hasegawa.

The Mariners won't likely win 116 games again, but they might be better than last season, when they won the division over Oakland by 14 games, finished 41 ahead of Anaheim and 43 in front of Texas.

"It's probably the most improved division in baseball," Gillick said. "I haven't seen Texas, but I know some of the people they've added. They're going to score a lot of runs. There's some improvement both in the Angels and Texas. Oakland probably may take a little step backwards. So it's going to be a little tighter race than last year."

If the Mariners have a weakness this season, it could be their starting pitching.

Gillick let veteran Aaron Sele, a 15-game winner, go as a free agent. He replaced Sele in the rotation with free agent James Baldwin, who will be the Mariners' No. 4 starter, following Garcia, Jamie Moyer and Paul Abbott. John Halama was replaced as the No. 5 starter by Joel Pineiro, 23.

"A lot depends on the pitching," Gillick said. "I like the players and I like the offense better than I did last year, but we'll have to wait and see what happens with the pitching."

Baldwin went 10-11 in 28 starts for the White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, while Pineiro was 6-3 in 18 games for the Mariners.

"I think Pineiro is a key," Gillick said. "I think Baldwin is a key. The other three guys are repeats from last year. If they can pitch reasonably well, then I think we'll be fine."

The Mariners were 7-2, including 5-1 at Safeco Field, against the White Sox last season.

But the White Sox, with Lofton and Thomas, are favored to win the AL Central this season.

"This offense, it's going to be something to watch," said Thomas, who missed all but 20 games last season with a torn triceps. "If we get adequate pitching, I think we'll be fine. We've just got to score runs."

Mariners glance

- Sunday: Mariners 6, Dodgers 3 in spring finale.

- Today: Opening Day, Chigago White Sox at Seattle, 2 p.m. (FSN).

The Olympian Copyright 2002

back to Mariners 2002 index